9th -12th grade Girl Scouts are invited
to "Rap on Relationships" March 13 6-8 in the Davidson High School Lecture Room.
Teens from the Youth Congress of South Alabama along with Lifeline Family
Counseling will lead the program.

Women of Distinction honorees
for 2009 have been chosen! These women are leaders in their fields who have been chosen by their peers as Champions of
Change. These women lead the charge to advocate the importance of being
role models, volunteerism and financial commitment in their community.

This year's Honorees will be recognized at the 14th Annual Women of Distinction Awards Gala in Montgomery on March 10. Proceeds
from this event supports our many outreach efforts, including Head Start
facilities, Public Housing Communities and in schools throughout our 30-county
service area.

There's something for everyone at the Thin Mint Sprint on February 28! Even if you don't run (and we hope that you do!), there will be the family fun festival with
booth after booth of healthy living. This is the ultimate event to show your Girl Scouts a healthy living
lifestyle. Need more enticement? We think you won't
want to miss:

Summer Resident Camp at Scoutshire Woods or Kamp Kiwanis is the ultimate Girl Scout experience. The girls learn new skills, forge new friendships, and gain confidence in themselves while having a great time in the outdoors! Now is the time to plan for your girls to attend -- some sessions fill up quickly. All the information you need is on our Camps and Property page.

Remember, girls selling 600+ boxes of cookies can receive $175 towards a camp session AND register early. Be sure to remind your troop parents of this great opportunity to get a huge discount on Resident Camp!

The America's Junior Miss (AJM) Program and Girl Scouts of
Southern Alabama are expanding the Be Your Best Self Program nationwide and are
piloting the program throughout the entire council. The Be Your Best Self patch
program is designed to encourage Girl Scouts to be their best selves through
such tenants as a healthy lifestyle, service to the community and goal setting.
Girl Scouts may partner with the Junior Miss contestants in their community and
become involved in the program. The patch requirements are available in the
patch book http://www.girlscoutssa.org/forms/Program/patch_book.pdf).

Troops that are located in or close to Mobile (or don't mind
traveling) are invited to adopt a Junior Miss. Troops provide the council with
their top three state choices for selection purposes on the Event Registration
form. The deadline to register is April 1. Once the troop and the AJM are
matched, they may begin to exchange letters, e-mails and pictures. The troop
will then be invited to participate in the festivities:

·May 18 -troops
receive bios and picturess of their AJM.

·June 15-troops
welcome AJM's to Mobile at the Arrival Ceremony at the Airport.

·June 20-troops
attend Meet and Greet at Bel Air Mall.

·June 22--Girl
Scouts have supper and enjoy a Bay Bears baseball game. Troops will be invited
to attend at a special price of $5 (for Girl Scouts and leaders) which includes
the game and supper. Troops and Junior Misses will participate in the Field
Parade, have supper together, autograph pillow cases, and enjoy the game
together. Troops will sing " Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the
7th inning stretch.

Troops need to be able to attend most of the festivities in
order to participate. Please contact Mary Anne Brutkiewicz (mbrutkiewicz@girlscoutssa.org or
251.344.3330, ext: 1202) at the Mobile Service Center if you have
questions.

One of the ways we celebrate Girl Scout Week (March 8-14 this year) is to offer our appreciation to the many of you in our
communities who've given your time, talent and financial donations so that we
may continue with the Girl Scout legacy of service to others.

During this
special week, we hope your religious organization chooses to celebrate Girl
Scout Week by including this year's bulletin insert during Girl Scout Week. We have inserts for bulletins (5.5 by 8.5 inches) that are free of
charge. We have several thousand and will give them out until they are
gone. Ask your church or synagogue to place these inserts in their bulletins
during Girl Scout Week, and let us know how many you need by filling out this
form. Don't hesitate if you need 500 or more inserts!

Every year, a local Girl Scout designs the artwork for the insert. The back of the insert has the Girl Scout promise, the Girl Scout law, and the address and web site of the council. Click here to see the full size 2009 insert.

Some religious organizations also choose to let the Girl
Scout troops attend services in uniform and take part in the service by taking
up the offering or presenting the colors. Make it a special day and help
continue to make Girl Scouting relevant for the next 97 years and
beyond

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEM) want to thank us for voting in support of GSEM through Virgin America's "Revolution Takes Flight" contest!! (Here's the initial entry in our blog.)

While the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts did not take the grand ($25k) prize, the Virgin America folks were so impressed with their runner's up take of almost 3,000 votes of support that Sir Richard Branson invited the girls to join him at a reception in Boston! The girls were thrilled with the opportunity ( being Girl Scouts they weren't shy about selling cookies either!), Sir Richard was quite a character, and Virgin America was very generous in gifting GSEM with flight vouchers for an upcoming silent auction to be held during Cookie Creations on March 12th!

Does anyone else remember Mr. Green Jeans? You know, on Captain Kangaroo...hello, anyone? Well, his time has finally come! Dalton Stack's Eagle Scout project is collecting denim and using it for insulation in Dothan Habitat for Humanity homes. It's a green project that recycles jeans -- we can all be Mr. Green Jeans!

The jeans/denim will be recycled into insulation for a Wiregrass Habitat of Humanity family home. The insulation is also environmentally safe since it is made from cotton, and the denim will not fill our landfills. The collection goal is 10,000 pairs of jeans or equivalent denim.

A processing plant will receive the denim and break it down to its high quality of natural fibers; removing all metal: zippers, snaps and buttons. The recycled denim insulation doesn't itch and it's safe to handle without the need for protective clothing.

Collection Dates: February 28th, 2009 - April 4th, 2009

Collection sites are throughout Dothan and Ozark. A listing can be found at www.donatejeans.com. What a great Eagle Scout Project! Good Luck Dalton!

The TOGA Cafe at the Volunteer Center in Mobile will be held on April 24 (6-8 p.m.). The program will be given by Regions Bank on Financial Literacy. Some of the requirements for the Dollars and Sense IP will be covered in this session. This is for 6th-12th grade girls. The fee is $3 and the registration deadline (by phone or email) is April 17. The minimum number is 10 and the maximum is 30 for this program. For more information, or to register contact Mary Anne Brutkiewicz at 251.344.3330, ext: 1202 or e-mailmbrutkiewicz@girlscoutssa.org.

If you've ever seen the Harlem Globetrotters, you know they put on quite a show of synchronized basketball. They incorporate a message of healthy lifestyles while they dazzle their audience with incredible tricks basketball shots. They've been doing this for decades, and it's one of the best shows around. Take your girls for a great time!

The Harlem Globetrotters will perform at the Trojan Arena of Troy University onMonday, March 9 at 7 p.m. Scouts arealso invited to a pre-game session of the Globetrotter University, which promotes healthy lifestyles. Doors open at 5 and the event begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets and patch are $13 per person and the deadline for orders is March 2. Download the
TroyScouts.pdf.

We would like to invite you to join CARE, and more than 120,000
people gathering in 450 theaters across the United States, to celebrate
International Women's Day 2009. On the evening of March 5, CARE
is hosting an unprecedented one-night event featuring "A Powerful Noise", an
acclaimed documentary that follows three extraordinary women in three different
areas of the world who are working to achieve victories over poverty. The film
is screening at theatres throughout Alabama, including Huntsville, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, and Gulf Shores.

Immediately following the film, a town hall discussion will be
broadcast live from New York to each of the participating theaters, with
celebrity activists and experts discussing how we all can play a role in
empowering women and girls around the world to fight global
poverty.

Girl
Scout Councils and troops can make A POWERFUL NOISE
Live theirown International
Women's Day program for 2009. Simply have your members attend the event
together at your local participating theatre, and then hold a meeting afterwards
to discuss the issues presented in the film. You may download a
step-by-step planning guide with more ideas for how local youth groups can
participate in this exciting event at http://www.apowerfulnoise.org/guides.html .

I
wanted to follow up on the emails that you have already received from the Girl
Scouts Global Action Manager inviting you to participate in this event, to let
you know that I can be a local resource to help you get involved. If you
need help planning for the event, or if you would like informational materials
or a CARE speaker for a follow-up meeting, please just contact me at hrobin@care.org.

We will also send
an "I Am Powerful" t-shirt to the first 50 Girl Scouts that e-mail groups@care.org with their creative ideas
for how they will get their troop and community involved (please include your
troop name, the number of members in your troop, and a mailing address in your
message).

Thank you again for your support, and see you at the
movies!

**Visit
www.apowerfulnoise.org to
learn more about the event, watch the film trailer, or for participating
theaters and ticket information.**

GSUSA announced today a new online safety campaign with Microsoft. The name of
this initiative is LMK (text-speak for "let me
know"), and the program is designed to build girls as leaders in promoting
online safety. The web site is http://lmk.girlscouts.org.

What is
LMK?

LMK ("let me
know") is an online safety campaign created in partnership with Girl Scouts of
the USA and Microsoft. The campaign includes an interactive Web site for
girls, as well as an e-newsletter and
Web site for adults. Each month, an all-girl
editorial board explores a different internet safety topic online and then
shares what they learned in the e-newsletter, which is distributed to adults the
following month.

What can
girls expect to find on the girls' Web site?

Girls can
anticipate learning more about internet safety through a fun and interactive Web
site which includes forums, video features, articles, quizzes, polls, games and
a question & answer column from internet safety expert, Parry
Aftab. There is also a "digital patch", Girl Scouts' first ever!

What about
the adult components of the campaign?

The
e-newsletter and adult site are designed to provide parents with timely guidance
and also serve as a tool to help families have open and honest conversations
about the dangers that lurk in cyberspace.

Why is LMK
important?

With the
escalating popularity, increasing access to
the internet and online technologies, it is important for teens and parents to
be aware of the dangers that exist in cyberspace. The LMK ("let me know") campaign not only creates a space for
internet safety experts and teen peer advisors, it also provides guidance
about topics like cyberbullying and online sexual predators. The adult components of the campaign help teens to
bridge the digital generation gap between themselves and their parents.

What is
LMK teaching my kid that she doesn't already know?

While many
young people are aware of the issues of cyberbullying and online predators, not
many people know how to keep themselves safe. The LMK campaign shows teenagers
how to stay safe online by:

·Surprising girls with
what they can learn about
online safety;

·Inspiring girls to pass their learning
on to their friends;

·Including their parents in a dialogue
about online safety;

·Empowering girls to become thought
leaders who advocate safe and responsible use of
technology.

Why is the
Girl Scouts partnering with Microsoft?

Girl Scouts
of the USA is committed to helping today's girls become tomorrow's leaders.
Thanks to the support of Microsoft, we are able to create a unique online
learning experience for girls, which furthers our mission of building girls of
courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a
better place.

We are implementing an exciting new recognition for our hard
working troop leaders! We appreciate how much effort it takes to lead a top
cookie selling team, and we want to reward your efforts. Now, you can have a
keepsake from the cookie sale, and somewhere to store your
cookies!

Six Girl Scout Cookie Jars will be given to the leaders of
our top selling troops:

Two Cookie
Jars to the top selling troops with 10 or fewer Girl Scouts

Here's the scenario: your girls are making lots of cookie profits and want to use the money to take a trip. They brainstorm exciting activities and destinations and turn their shining, eager faces to you for approval. What's your next step? Our Volunteer Services Liason, Cheryl Miller, is happy to answer this frequently asked question. "Safety-Wise, our manual that defines safety guidelines for almost every situation, is our best reference. It outlines, step by step, what you should do to prepare for almost any trip or activity, including when you need to contact the council or your service area for approval. Chapter 7 outlines the steps for activities that are not covered by other chapters (like camping, land-based activities, and water activities). There is even a helpful list on page 80 that outlines activities that are not approved -- sorry, bungee jumping is out!" Safety-Wise takes the guessing out of activities planning. It's a great resource! Other resources can be found on our Forms page, including:

What: G.E.M.M. - Girls
Empowered to Make Movies is a
destination where Girl Scouts ages 14-17 spend 10 days in beautiful San
Diego, California working with professional filmmakers to hone their skills in
writing, directing, editing, acting, cinematography, and production. All
aspects of the filmmaking process will be covered as they work in small crews to
make movies. Everyone will get the opportunityto fulfill
each of the basic crew positions as well as write, direct, and edit a short film
of up to five minutes. Twenty-four girls from around the country will enjoy a
behind-the-scenes tour of a major motion picture studio plus other great
surprises!

There are still great destinations available for 2009. The destinations
that are not marked FULL on the National Girl Scouts website are accepting late applications. The
"late" application deadline is February 16. Please share these travel
opportunities with your girls.

Many of the
destinations will be accepting applications after the Feb. 16 date
depending on if their event is FULL or not. The destinations website will
be updated to reflect the changes. Please share these destination opportunities
with your girls. We have some destinations that were advertised late such as
Wyoming's Wildlife Wonders and G.E.M.M. that have their own deadlines for
receiving applications.

There are many veterans who are hospitalized, and they are of all ages. Some do not have families, and getting a card from a Girl Scout Troop would mean so much! Cards for any holiday are welcome. The link below provides guidelines and dates.

This is an inexpensive yet very meaningful craft that any age level can do and provides comfort, support and appreciation for the men and women who have served our country. Here's the link:

If you are thinking about signing up for the Thin Mint Sprint, please note that the price in Connections is wrong. Connections is printed while some events are still in the planning stages, so there can be the occasional discrepancy. The correction information is on our web site and at the sign up web site,
www.active.com. See you there!

Join us for the Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama Annual Meeting.The meeting will be on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at Whitfield United Methodist Church, 2673 Fisk Road, Montgomery.Registration will begin at 10 a.m., and the meeting should conclude by 2 p.m.The cost to attend the meeting is $15, and lunch will be included.In addition to the business meeting, there will be time set aside for volunteer forums, so that you can connect with other volunteers to discuss important topics relating to Girl Scouting.

There will also be a Girl Scout Silver and Gold Award workshop held separately from the annual meeting.The workshop will be from 1 - 2 p.m.If girls are registered for the annual meeting, it's included in the price.To attend only the workshop the fee is $2 for materials.

Every year our council participates in the Goodwill/Easter Seals Clothing Drive to encourage our girls to gift other families with lightly-used clothing. It's a very successful program, and one that helps our girls to reach out to our communities.

This year, we have an exciting addition to the program! The Goodwill in several of our counties has offered a $250 scholarship toward summer resident camp to the girl scout who donates the most 33 gallon bags of clothing in one of those participating counties. (We truly wish the camp scholarship opportunity was available to all the girl scouts in our council; the Goodwill organizations in the remaining counties have not yet chosen to participate.)

We are grateful to Goodwill/Easter Seals for sponsoring this camp scholarship! If any of our leaders works with a local Goodwill, please be sure to thank them (or to encourage them to participate).

The Girls Going Places® Entrepreneurship Award Program is
Guardian's annual initiative designed to reward the enterprising spirits of
girls ages 12 to 18. Guardian awards prizes to 15 girls who demonstrate budding
entrepreneurship; are taking the first steps toward financial independence; and
make a difference in their schools and communities. Prizes totaling $30,000 are
granted to three top winners and 12 finalists each year, to further their
entrepreneurial pursuits or save for college. The deadline for entry for the
2009 award is February 27, 2009. Good Luck! For more information or to
apply to the 2009 Girls Going Places Entrepreneurship Award, please visit www.GirlsGoingPlaces.com

Job Description:
Girl Scouts of
Southern Alabama seeks individuals to deliver a prepared financial literacy
program to girls at Headland, Newville, and Abbeville Middle schools during the
school day in a classroom setting. The program will begin in March and end in
May. Training will be provided.

Requirements: Good presentation and
communication skills and the candidate must have own
transportationContact: Angela Fedor afedor@girlscoutssa.org, 251-344-3330
x 1803Resumes can be faxed to
251-344-4181 or emailed to afedor@girlscoutssa.org

You know what makes me feel POWERFUL? Knowing how to do things! And what could be more powerful than learning about maintaining your car! Hear Me ROAR! Okay, so I'm getting a little carried away...but still...here's a great opportunity for your girls (and you) to learn now to take care of your faithful family servant, the car!

Advanced Transmission in Spanish Fort (www.advanced-transmission.com ). is offering a car care clinic to Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts April 25 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Girls will work on skill builders and some of the other requirements for the Car Sense IP. Lunch will be served. Moms can attend a Ladies Car Care Clinic as time permits. Two cars will be needed for the girls to change oil filters and other fluids. Please indicate on the event registration form what kind of car you have, if interested. Please send the event registration form and $3 fee to the Mobile Service Center by April 8. Hurry -space is limited to first 25 registrants.

This adventure is designed to
highlight one of the most naturally beautiful regions in the country, allowing a
diverse, up-close and personal Hawaiian experience.

Now is
your chance to visit beautiful Hawaii. You and thirteen other adventurers will
learn about hydrology, hike to waterfalls, visit a local school, swim, snorkel
and explore underwater ecosystems. Discover geology, volcanology and ecosystem
ecology, walk through a lava tube and view flowing lava, and much more. Don't
miss out on this opportunity!Stay in comfortable lodges and enjoy tent
camping on this program.

Celebrate Black History Month by earning the Amistad
patch from Girl Scouts Louisiana East Council.The Amistad became a symbol
in the movement to abolish slavery after a group of African captives aboard the
ship revolted. This patch can be earned as an individual or as a part of a troop
and is appropriate for Juniors through Ambassadors. Find this patch on their
home page: www.gsle.org .

And now's the time for us to recognize us! Every year the council and service units honor outstanding volunteers who are nominated by their peers. Here are the updated guidelines that explain the recognitions and their criteria. The nomination forms are available on our web site Forms and Resources page under Adult Recognitions.

Deadlines: The awards that are presented at the annual council meeting are due on or before the last Friday in February, and the service unit level awards are due the last Friday in March.

UPDATE! The volunteer recognitions deadline is extended until April 10.

We're getting ready to Fun Run (or 5k, if you prefer) at the Thin Mint Sprint on February 28!

Please use this special Thin Mint Sprint registration form and make sure your girls sign the form with their parents (instead of using the standard Event Registration form).Or!Be Green and register our girls, ourselves, and our friends online at

A "trip" is when your troop/girls go anywhere beyond
your normal meeting place. If you are planning a trip with your troop, please
remember that troop leaders must complete the Venturing Out
training that is available online. (http://girlscoutssa.org/training-misc/VO.pdf)

Always follow the Safety Wise rules for the trip/activity and
make sure you have Permission Forms, Girl and Adult Health Forms, emergency
contact info, a list of your registered and approved adult volunteers/chaperones
and/or drivers, a map for every driver, etc. (see pg.54 and the index of
Safety-Wise.)

This event is for adult volunteers with little or no outdoor
camping experience, who want to learn all about troop camping basics in a
low-key and fun environment. Participants are welcome to bring their daughters
(additional fee and min. age apply.)

Virgin Atlantic is holding a contest for Boston based nonprofits - the winner (most votes by Friday February 6th) wins $25,000 for their organization! And you all know so well how much that money can help with with programs, camps, and financial assistance to girls right now.